<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Avalanche by mjsakurea</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070798">Avalanche</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjsakurea/pseuds/mjsakurea'>mjsakurea</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Buck gets stuck in another natural disaster, Getting Together, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Maddie Buckley is a Good Sister, Sharing Body Heat, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, The Buckleys are Bad Parents, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:00:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjsakurea/pseuds/mjsakurea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chimney wants to take a trip with Maddie to the Buckley siblings' hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania. Maddie invites Buck, Buck invites Eddie, you know how it goes. </p>
<p>Buck is not exactly thrilled with the idea of visiting his hometown, but after hearing that Eddie has never seen snow before, he becomes excited about dragging his best friend out to the ski slopes he frequented as a kid. Their plans get cut short by an unforeseen disaster leaving Buck and Eddie struggling to make it out alive.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>434</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yes, it starts off from Chimney's POV, but this story will be focused on Buck and Eddie. Chapter 1 is mostly a prologue. New to the fandom. This is my first Buddie fic. I've written plenty of fanfiction in the past but somewhere along the line, I lost confidence in myself. My writing muscles are a bit out of shape, but I hope to get back into it. Hope you enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on Maddie, don’t you think it is about time I meet your family?”</p>
<p>“You’ve already met my family, Howie,” Maddie sighed, taking a sip from her wine glass.</p>
<p>“What? Who? When?” Chimney questioned.</p>
<p>“Buck, duh,” Maddie said.</p>
<p>“He doesn’t count, I knew him before I knew you. What about your parents? Extended family? You never talk about them.”</p>
<p>“Did you ever think that maybe there was a reason for that?” Maddie said. Chimney leaned back against the kitchen island and sighed. “Look, I think it is sweet that you want to visit my hometown, but it really isn’t necessary, this is my home now and I have way more fond memories here than I ever did back home. Why are you so insistent on it anyway?”</p>
<p>“No reason,” Chimney deflected, “I just thought that your family must be amazing to have raised such an amazing woman.”</p>
<p>Maddie smiled, her cheeks filling with the slightest tint of pink.</p>
<p>“Now Buck on the other hand,” Chimney continued, “Something clearly got messed up there.”</p>
<p>Maddie laughed and punched Chimney in the shoulder softly.</p>
<p>“I kid, I kid,” Chimney raised his hands to surrender. “And with the holidays coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to visit. But seriously, when is the last time you saw your parents?”</p>
<p>Maddie let out a deep breath and shook her head. “I don’t even know. Probably not since I married Doug. They did not approve of him, so he did not like me spending time with them. Back then I resented them for that, but now, I can see that they were right all along. Maybe you are right, maybe it would be good to see them.”</p>
<p>“Do you think they would approve of me?” Howie said, taking a step towards Maddie.</p>
<p>“Of course they would! You are an amazing guy, and I am so lucky to have you in my life. I love you, Howie.”</p>
<p>“I love you, too,” Chimney said, reaching for the back of Maddie’s neck as he leaned down to kiss his girlfriend, and hopefully more than that soon.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>His next shift, Chimney strolls into the firehouse and bounds up the stairs. He finds Buck in the kitchen stealing a snack while no one is looking. As much as he wants people to think he lives on an all protein diet, Chimney knows Buck’s secret love affair for carbs.</p>
<p>“Hey, Buck” Chimney greets him.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he mumbles with his mouth full, swallows, then continues. “Maddie told me you two are planning a trip to Hershey, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yep,” Chimney says excitedly. He still could not quite believe he was able to convince Maddie after all.</p>
<p>“She said you were pretty insistent on it. What makes you so desperate to visit our hometown?”</p>
<p>Chimney walks closer to Buck and glances from side to side to see if anyone else was in the room. “Actually—and don’t you dare tell anyone, not even Eddie—I’m gonna ask Maddie to marry me.”</p>
<p>Buck claps his hands together and Chimney slaps them down before someone questions what has Buck so excited. His golden retriever energy is hard to contain. “I knew it would be a bad idea to tell you. But anyway, I was hoping to get your parents’ permission before I do,” Chimney explained.</p>
<p>“When did you get so old-fashioned?”</p>
<p>Chimney glared. “Look, last time I was in a serious relationship and I tried to propose, it did not end well. It was too soon, and I was unprepared and did not know what I was thinking. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with Maddie, but I want this proposal to be perfect, I can’t mess it up again.”</p>
<p>Buck nodded with a smile. “I’m sure it will be perfect. You two are perfect together. You don’t need to get their permission for it to go well, though. It would probably be better if you didn’t.”</p>
<p>“I know you guys don’t have the best relationship with your parents, but it has been so long since either of you has seen them. Maybe it would be good for you. So, I think you should come too.”</p>
<p>“Maddie already made that offer and I told her I’d think about it.”</p>
<p>“Come on, I’m sure it would be fine. You could even invite Eddie,” Chimney suggested.</p>
<p>“I said I’d think about it,” Buck snapped and ran a hand through his hair.</p>
<p>Recognizing that tone as a cue to drop the topic, Chimney nodded and stepped away. He had managed to get Maddie to agree against all odds, he was not going to push his luck with Buck. Chimney turned and went to head down the stairs. He passed Eddie on his way up.</p>
<p>“Did I hear my name?” Eddie asked.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Chimney said quickly, hoping he could get Eddie on his side.</p>
<p>“No,” Buck countered instantaneously.</p>
<p>Eddie shrugged and figured it might be best not to ask. As soon as he stepped foot on the loft, the bell rang. Eddie made a mental note to ask Buck about it later and spun around to head back down.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Luckily, his chance to be nosy about Buck and Chim’s earlier conversation came soon enough. With Christopher spending the night at a friend’s house, Eddie invited Buck over after their shift to keep him company and share some beers. He grabbed a pair of bottles and brought them over to the couch where Buck was already sitting, long legs thrown up on the coffee table.</p>
<p>“How many times do I gotta tell you, feet off the coffee table.” Eddie sat down, set the beers down on said coffee table, and gave Buck’s legs a shove.</p>
<p>Buck pushed himself into a more upright position and dropped his feet down to the ground with an audible thump as he reached out and grabbed his beer.</p>
<p>Eddie took a sip of his own before diving into the conversation. “So, what were you and Chimney talking about earlier today?”</p>
<p>Buck sighed and slumped back down against the back of the couch. “It was nothing.”</p>
<p>“Yeah right. Don’t think I didn’t notice how lost in thought you were for the rest of the day after that. And as much as you deny it, I know I heard my name in there somewhere.”</p>
<p>“Fine. Chim and Maddie are taking a trip to Hershey in a couple of months and they invited me to come with. I told Chim I’d think about it.”</p>
<p>Eddie nodded. “Hershey, Pennsylvania? That’s where you grew up, right? Sounds like fun, what’s there to think about?”</p>
<p>Buck rolled his eyes and took a large gulp of beer.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Maybe the fact that I haven’t talked to my parents since I left, and we weren’t exactly on good terms when I did.”</p>
<p>“I know how you feel, my parents weren’t happy with me when I left Texas. But who said anything about needing to see your parents? I’m sure there’s ways you can enjoy the trip without seeing them.”</p>
<p>Buck turned towards Eddie with an eyebrow raised.</p>
<p>“I mean, there’s gotta be something you miss about home, don’t you?”</p>
<p>Buck took a second to consider his friend’s question. “Well, I do miss the snow. Mads and I used to go skiing every winter up on Liberty Mountain. She was the one that taught me how.”</p>
<p>“See, there’s something. A couple of months from now it’ll be winter, so you’d get to do that again. You know, I’ve never actually seen snow myself.”</p>
<p>Buck whipped his head towards Eddie in shock. “What? Are you serious? How could you have not seen snow before!”</p>
<p>“Growing up in Texas and moving to Southern California, not much of a change in climate. No snow in Afghanistan either.”</p>
<p>Buck reaches up to rub the back of his neck. “In that case, maybe you should come with. Chimney actually suggested I invite you,” Buck said, not making eye contact.</p>
<p>So that was how his name got into that conversation. “Now why would Chimney suggest that?”</p>
<p>“I have no idea,” Buck said defensively, avoiding the question by continuing to drink his beer.</p>
<p>“I think I’d like to come, if that’s okay,” Eddie replied.</p>
<p>Buck quickly dropped his beer from his lips with a cough. “Of course, yeah, no, that would be great.”</p>
<p>Buck explained the dates they were planning on making the trip, what flight they were hoping to catch, and what hotel they planned to book. It was not going to be long, just an extended weekend. Eddie knew Christopher would like to come but thought it better if he stayed put this time. He would ask his Abuela to watch him for that weekend.</p>
<p>Eddie wasn’t completely sure why he was interested in coming along. He didn’t exactly fit in. Chimney and Maddie were in a serious relationship. He and Buck were, well, he didn’t know. To him, Buck felt like family, but to the rest of the world, they were just best friends. He did not know what business he had had flying out to his friend’s hometown and meeting his parents. Not that he was planning on meeting Buck’s parents, but thinking about it now, he wouldn’t mind that. He could tell Buck did not have a good relationship with them, but he felt like they could not be completely terrible if they managed to have Buck as a son. They clearly did something right there. He couldn’t help but stare at Buck with a soft smile as he finished off the beer and continued chattering on about the travel plans. He did not seem at all excited about the trip before, but Buck seemed excited now. Eddie couldn’t help be excited, too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the blink of an eye, a couple of months passed. Everything was prepared for the trip. Time off requests were sent and approved, Eddie arranged childcare for Christopher, and Buck had dug his old winter coat out of storage. Buck noticed that Chimney was getting more jittery by the day. He informed Buck one day that he had picked out a ring. Buck pestered him nonstop until Chimney reluctantly showed it to him. It was beautiful. When he did, Buck clapped him on the shoulder and nodded, not saying anything for fear of his voice breaking. He was so proud of his big sister, seeing her escape from Doug’s abuse and end up with such a great guy like Chimney—although, Buck would never admit that to Chimney’s face. He still did not see the need to get his parents’ approval, however.</p>
<p>Buck was starting to have second thoughts about this whole trip. He did not know why he agreed to come along. Maddie was shocked when he told her he was going, equally as shocked when he told her Eddie was tagging along. She revealed that when she invited Buck in the first place, she never predicted he would agree. Unfortunately for Buck, it was too late to back out now. The flight was already booked for the following Thursday. The only thing keeping him from cancelling regardless was Eddie. Having Eddie along for the ride made him slightly more optimistic about the whole thing. He couldn’t help but share the excitement when Eddie bugged him about the weather out there, what type of winter coat he should buy, what to look for in snow boots, etc. Eddie wanted to be prepared and know all about Hershey, Buck could understand that. Buck was just hoping Eddie wouldn’t want to know all about his childhood in Hershey.</p>
<p>Much to Buck’s dismay, the day came. Buck had agreed to pick up everyone else in his Jeep to save on the atrocious parking fees at LAX. Maddie argued that it was because he had the most space for luggage, but he knew she just wanted to get out of driving in the busy airport traffic. After loading his own small suitcase into the back, Buck took off for his first stop: Eddie’s place.</p>
<p>Once he arrived, he swung out of the Jeep and waltzed up to the door. He reached up to knock but before his hand could make contact, the door swung open to reveal a slightly disheveled Eddie.</p>
<p>“Hey, sorry I’m running a bit behind, come in, come in,” Eddie said, not waiting for Buck to come in before turning around and rummaging around the house to finish getting ready.</p>
<p>Buck stepped in and closed the door behind him. He heard Eddie’s fast footsteps as well as the click of crutches against the floor.</p>
<p>“Hi, Buck,” Christopher said, walking up to him and grabbing his legs in a hug.</p>
<p>“Hey, buddy!” Seeing Christopher always put Buck in a good mood. Buck ruffled the kid’s hair and patted his back.</p>
<p>“Dad says you’re gonna go skiing,” Christopher said softly when he finished hugging his Buck.</p>
<p>“Yep, that’s the plan.”</p>
<p>“Are you gonna help Daddy like you did for me on the skateboard? Promise not to laugh at him when he falls.”</p>
<p>Sticking his head out from a room Buck did not even see him go in, Eddie said, “Hey, I heard that, I’m not gonna fall.”</p>
<p>“Of course not,” Buck shouted at Eddie who had already disappeared again. Then, he looked down at Christopher and winked causing the kid to erupt in a fit of giggles.</p>
<p>Eddie came back out into the main room with two suitcases, one for him and one for Christopher. “Abuela will be here to pick him up in a few minutes,” he explained.</p>
<p>“Here,” Buck said reaching for Eddie’s suitcase, “I’ll throw that in the Jeep.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, man,” Eddie said. He handed Buck his suitcase and set Christopher’s down next to his son before picking him up and swinging him around. “I’m gonna miss you. Try not to have too much fun without me.”</p>
<p>Buck only caught the beginning of their conversation as he jogged out to his Jeep. As he was tossing the luggage in the back, he saw Eddie’s Abuela’s car pull up.</p>
<p>“Buck, how are you!” Abuela said as more of a greeting than a question. “Long time no see.”</p>
<p>“Abuela,” Eddie said coming out of his house and handing Cristopher’s suitcase to his grandmother, “Thank you for agreeing to watch Christopher.”</p>
<p>“Of course, of course, you go have fun, it’s been ages since you took a vacation.”</p>
<p>Christopher followed behind his dad out the door and walked slowly over to Abuela. Eddie turned back to his house, closed the door, and locked it.</p>
<p>“Sorry to rush, but we gotta get to the airport. Love you buddy, bye,” Eddie said, leaning down to give Christopher a hug and a kiss. He hugged his grandmother before jogging up to Buck’s Jeep where Buck was waiting for him. Buck hopped in the driver’s side and Eddie got shotgun. Christopher and Abuela waved as Buck backed out of Eddie’s driveway. With the passenger window rolled down Buck could hear Christopher and Abuela wishing them goodbye and to have a safe trip. Then, they were off to Maddie’s place.</p>
<p>Maddie and Chimney were outside and waiting when they arrived. Although Buck was delayed getting Eddie, he pulled up only a few minutes later than he had planned to be there. Maddie and Chimney threw their luggage in the back and climbed in the backseat. Without a minute wasted, they were off to LAX.</p>
<p>Once they arrived at the airport, they made their way to the entrance. Reaching the doors of their gate, Buck hesitated. Last time he was here, he never got to go past these doors, he could only stay there and get left behind. Maddie and Chimney walked through the doors without looking back. Eddie put a hand on the door and stopped.</p>
<p>“Buck? You good?” He said, turning back.</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course.” He shook the thoughts out of his head and followed Eddie through into the airport. He wasn’t going to be left behind this time.</p>
<p>Security was as expected, annoying and slow, but eventually, it was time to board. They were in store for about a five-hour flight. Buck tapped his feet rapidly as the final checks were made and the plane was about to take off. He was sitting in an aisle seat, Eddie in the middle seat next to him, and a stranger in the window seat. Maddie and Chimney were in the row in front of them. A flight attendant passed by, checking the overhead compartments. She paused when she got to Buck and Eddie’s row. Her green eyes raked up and down Buck as she tucked a bit of curly red hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>“Nervous flier?” She asked with a smile.</p>
<p>“Nah, just nervous,” She eyed him curiously for a second before placing a hand on Buck’s shoulder, leaned down, and said, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with that,” and then winked.</p>
<p>Buck cleared his throat and looked away from her. He felt a warm hand on his knee unexpectedly.</p>
<p>“We’re fine,” Eddie said next to him. The flight attendant looked at Eddie, down at Eddie’s hand on Buck’s leg, then back at Buck. Buck placed his own hand on Eddie’s and smiled at the flight attendant. She rolled her eyes and continued down the aisle. Buck quickly lifted his hand off Eddie’s and Eddie did the same.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Buck said. Buck 1.0 would have enjoyed flirting with that attendant, but not anymore. He did not know why Eddie felt the need to intervene with that, but he was glad he did.</p>
<p>Soon, the plane lifted off the ground and Buck calmed down a bit. There was no turning back now. The flight attendant barely looked at him for the rest of the flight. It was mostly smooth except for a bit of turbulence over the Rocky Mountains. Rationally, he knew flying in an airplane was safer than driving, but having rescued people from a crashed plane before, it was not exactly his favorite form of transportation. Eddie on the other hand, Eddie was completely chill, mindlessly flipping through the airline magazines. In front of him, Buck could see Maddie lean over and rest her head of Chimney’s shoulder. It sent a twinge of loneliness through him. He missed having someone to lean on, more metaphorically than physically with how tall he was, wasn’t easy for him to lean down to anyone’s shoulder. Even without that, he could feel less nervous having Eddie right next to him on the flight.</p>
<p>Finally, after five hours of uncomfortable seats, cramped legs, back pain, cheap snacks, and dry air, they landed in Pennsylvania. Once allowed to exit the plane, the group made their way to the baggage claim and then to the rental car lot. Car picked out, they begin the drive to Hershey. Although it would have saved them money to lodge in their parents’ house, Maddie and Buck mutually agreed that getting a hotel would be better to keep the interaction with their parents to a minimum. Maddie only informed the Buckley’s they were coming after the hotel had been booked so they could not talk them out of it. The plan was to get dinner and relax at the hotel once they arrived, ski on Friday, visit the Buckley’s on Saturday, relax on Sunday, and head out Monday morning.</p>
<p>The sun was starting to set as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. After a long, cramped flight and cramped car ride, everyone was ready to take it easy. They all grabbed their luggage and entered the building to get checked in.</p>
<p>“Hi there, reservation for Howard Han,” Chimney said to the receptionist.</p>
<p>“Han, Han, Han—Ah yes, right here. Two rooms, correct? Both king beds?”</p>
<p>“Um, actually one room was supposed to be two queens.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m sorry sir, it looks like it must have been a mix up in our system. I can look for another room but we’re pretty packed right now, it might take a moment. Are you okay with being on different floors?”</p>
<p>“You know, never mind, it’s fine,” Chimney said, “You guys don’t mind sharing a bed, do you?” He continued, turning behind him to Eddie and Buck who were not paying attention to the conversation at all.</p>
<p>“What?” They said simultaneously.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s fine.”</p>
<p>“Okay, here’s the keys then. Once again, my apologies for the mix-up.”</p>
<p>“No worries,” Chimney said, taking the keycards from the receptionist and handing one to Buck. After the check-in was all sorted, they headed up to their rooms. They booked two adjacent rooms so they could easily hang out without having to share one space. Maddie and Chimney got a room together for obvious reasons. Buck was planned on getting a room by himself, but Eddie insisted they get a room with two beds instead to save a bit of money. As Buck stepped in the room and saw they only had one bed, he was beginning to regret agreeing to it.</p>
<p>“Great,” Buck groaned, standing in the doorway. Eddie slipped past him into the room.</p>
<p>“What? No big deal, not gonna be here for that long,” Eddie said.</p>
<p>Buck shook his head and walked into the room, letting the door slam behind him. He tossed his bag down and slumped onto the bed. Noticing his odd mood, Eddie glanced at Buck.</p>
<p>“Is it that big of a deal? It’s just a bed, plenty big enough for the both of us. What’s gotten into you?” Eddie asked, sitting next to his friend. Buck ran a hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“Sorry, no, it’s fine.”</p>
<p>“Stressed about seeing your parents?”</p>
<p>“Is it that obvious?”</p>
<p>Eddie smiled and slapped a hand on Buck’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Eddie grabbed the TV remote from the nightstand and set it to the weather forecast. “So, tell me about this ski mountain we’re going to tomorrow?”</p>
<p>Buck took a deep breath and began to explain about the mountain they made plans to go to. It was a little out of town, but it was always the one he and Maddie went to growing up. The meteorologist droned on in the background about a warm front bringing in heavy, wet snowfall in the night, accumulating on top of the powdery layers of snow from earlier in the week.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter ended up being a bit longer than I expected, sorry about that. Thank you to everyone following this story already. Hope you enjoy.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know nothing about Pennsylvania, I have never been there. I googled ski resorts in Hershey and thought Liberty Mountain sounded like a cool name. Nothing about Hershey or Liberty Mountain will be accurate at all and I'm sorry. This chapter will also feature a wildly inaccurate description of skiing. I have never been skiing in my life so please forgive me lol. Despite this, please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For a chilly winter day in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Buck woke up in the hotel room boiling. He thought he must have left the heat on high the night before. That would not explain the pressure he felt against his back, however, or the warm air hitting his neck. He yawned and tried unsuccessfully to stretch his arms. He blinked open his eyes. Claustrophobia, confusion, and then curiosity phased through his brain as he tried to assess the situation. Scanning his eyes around while still blinking away the sleep from them, he found the source of his immobility: an arm, and definitely not his own arm. It was Eddie’s arm. Buck held his breath.</p>
<p><em>Nope, nope, nope nope nope nope.</em> Buck squirmed out of Eddie’s hold. Eddie, his best friend. Eddie, who was spooning him for who knows how long before Buck woke up. Buck leaped into the bathroom and shut the door, not turning around to see if he woke Eddie up yet. He let out the breath he was holding and ran a hand through his hair, curly from sleep. He did not need more stress. This was supposed to be a vacation, he just wanted to enjoy it. Buck was not ready for any awkward conversations just yet. He and Eddie were best friends and coworkers. He was happy with that. He did not need Eddie to know about his totally unprofessional infatuation.</p>
<p>Maybe he would be ready to come clean about his feelings, but today was not that today. Today he was going to go skiing and have a great time and forget he woke up being spooned by his best friend. Thinking back, it was not his alarm that woke him up. What time was it anyway? Knowing he could not hide in the bathroom forever, Buck eased it open. When he finally peeked his head out, he saw Eddie had rolled onto his back. His eyes were still closed. Thank god. The hotel clock read 6:09. Buck cursed his internal alarm clock for waking him up two hours earlier than his phone alarm was set for. Now what? The free breakfast was not even being served yet. There was no doubt in his mind that his sister and Chimney would still be asleep. With how many times Chimney got mad at Buck for waking him up when Buck was crashing at his apartment, Buck was not willing to risk his wrath by checking on them next door. Most of the time when he woke Chimney up accidentally, it was because he was working out. He remembered seeing a gym on the main floor. Working out did not seem like a bad idea to Buck. He would not mind clearing his head. So, that is what he did. Buck grabbed his phone, a pair of headphones, and the hotel room key and went down to the gym. He put all of his focus into his workout. Music blaring in his headphones, he could not pick up the morning news mentioning an avalanche warning.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Eddie woke up with a pillow to the face. He thrashed around in surprise and sat up. Buck was standing at the foot of the bed. Buck erupted in laughter.</p>
<p>“How late are you planning on sleeping in? You’re gonna miss breakfast.”</p>
<p>“What—” Eddie’s eyes darted to the clock to see that Buck was right, it was half-past 9:00, and breakfast ended at 10:00. He groaned and threw back the covers.</p>
<p>“You didn’t set an alarm?”</p>
<p>“No, I thought you set one,” Eddie said as he dug through his suitcase.</p>
<p>“Just on my phone, though. Sorry, I woke up before it went off,” Buck said. Eddie turned to look at him. He was already dressed and looked like he had taken a shower already, hair still slightly damp.</p>
<p>“How long have you been up?” Eddie asked.</p>
<p>Buck shrugged. “Not long,” he lied.</p>
<p>Before Eddie could ask him to elaborate, there was a series of knocks at the door. “You guys better not still be sleeping! We’ll miss breakfast!” It was Maddie’s voice yelling from the other side. Buck hopped over to the door and opened it.</p>
<p>“Good morning to you, too.” Buck grinned. “Don’t worry, we’ll be ready in a bit. You and Chimney can head down. Just waiting on sleeping beauty over here,” Buck said, pointing his thumb behind his back at Eddie rummaging around getting ready in the room. Buck can feel the glare digging into his back when he says that.</p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll try not to eat all the pancakes before you get down there,” Maddie joked.</p>
<p>Buck closed the door as Maddie headed down to the lobby for the free breakfast buffet. As he turned around, Eddie walked out of the bathroom.</p>
<p>“You can go ahead, you don’t have to wait for me,” Eddie said.</p>
<p>“No big deal, you’re almost ready anyway, aren’t you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>After Eddie finished up, the pair joined Maddie and Chimney in the breakfast room. They had saved a larger table with two extra seats for Buck and Eddie. Maddie was finishing off her first plate and Chimney was about ready to get a second plate from the extravagant breakfast spread. Buck’s mouth watered at the steaming selection of fresh breakfast foods. Guaranteed it would be nothing compared to what Bobby can whip up for breakfast in the 118 kitchens, but Buck was still looking forward to digging in. He and Eddie greeted their friends before getting in line at the buffet table. Buck stacked his plate with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and breakfast sausage. Eddie’s plate was similar except for a waffle instead of pancakes. It was a rather burnt waffle, but a waffle, nonetheless. With loaded plates, Buck and Eddie sat down with Chimney and Maddie.</p>
<p>“You still planning on going skiing today?” Maddie asked once they sat down.</p>
<p>“Yeah, definitely. You guys coming along?” Buck said.</p>
<p>“I was hoping to, but Chimney has other ideas,” Maddie said rolling her eyes.</p>
<p>Buck tilted his head, waiting for her to elaborate.</p>
<p>“He wants to go to the Hershey factory.”</p>
<p>Buck chuckled and shook his head.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me the Hershey factory was here,” Chimney groaned.</p>
<p>“It’s <em>Hershey</em>, Pennsylvania, how did you not put the pieces together?” Maddie questioned.</p>
<p>“I don’t get why you guys aren’t more excited about it. It’s like having Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory in your backyard.”</p>
<p>“Whose chocolate factory?”</p>
<p>“Buck, your lack of movie knowledge never ceases to disappoint me,” Chimney said, shaking his head, “But the biggest mystery here is how you two ended up so skinny living next to a freaking chocolate factory.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think we ever went as kids, did we?” Buck said. Maddie being the older sibling would have a better memory of whether or not they had ever been to the Hershey chocolate factory. He was fairly sure they had never been, at least not after he was born. He could count the number of family outings they had growing up on one hand. More often than not, he and Maddie found themselves home alone for the weekends while their parents spent it who knows where as long as it was not at home with their children.</p>
<p>“No, I don’t think Mom and Dad ever took us. The first time I went was in high school with some friends, I think,” Maddie said. After a beat, she continued, “Have you ever been there?”</p>
<p>Buck sat silent for a moment, pondering. “No, I don’t think so,” he said with a shrug. He could have guessed Maddie would have been there without him. As they got older, Maddie would use the weekends alone as opportunities to sneak out with her friends or current boyfriend, leaving Buck alone.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m sorry we can’t come skiing. You’re welcome to come with us to the factory instead?”</p>
<p>“Nah, it’s okay,” Buck said, shaking his head. He felt a sense of déjà vu over the whole situation. However, this time was different. This time, Buck wasn’t being excluded from his sister’s plans, he had his own plans with someone he cares about.</p>
<p>“Okay, well, we’ll bring you both back some chocolate,” Maddie said.</p>
<p>After their plates were empty and stomachs full Buck, Eddie, Maddie, and Chimney returned to their rooms briefly. Buck and Eddie geared up in snow boots and heavy coats fit for skiing. After getting ready, they met with Maddie and Chimney in the lobby once again. Since they only had the one rental car, they came to an agreement that they would go to the ski resort first where Maddie and Chimney would leave them and take the car back to the Hershey factory. Skiing would most likely take longer than touring the chocolate factory, so it would give Maddie and Chimney the freedom to drive around to other destinations if they so chose to. Then, they would pick Buck and Eddie up in the evening to go for dinner together.</p>
<p>A short drive later, they arrived at the ski resort: Liberty Mountain. Maddie and Chimney wished them a fun time before departing, promising to pick them up around 5:00.</p>
<p>Buck strode off to head towards the ticketing and ski-rental building. Noticing Eddie was not by his side, he turned around. Eddie was standing in the same spot they were dropped off at, turning in a slow circle, taking in the picturesque scenery of the mountain and resort. Eddie got his first look at snow when they exited the airport, but seeing it lightly covering urban areas was nothing compared to the grandeur of a fully snow-covered mountain with ice-coated trees glistening in the sunlight.</p>
<p>“Earth to Eddie Diaz, you coming?” Buck said, putting a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie did not notice him walk back over to him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, let's go.” Eddie took off towards the main building, Buck trotting up beside him.</p>
<p>The sweltering indoor heating embraced them as they stepped inside. Immediately to the left of the door was the ticket counter. Eddie gestured for Buck to go first. Buck stepped up and bought a one-day pass and a ski rental. After his transaction was done, he turned around to Eddie.</p>
<p>“You know, since it’s your first time, you might want to try snowboarding instead, it’s way easier and much safer,” Buck said.</p>
<p>“I’m sure skis are fine. How hard can it be?” Eddie said. Buck shrugged and stepped out of his way. “I’d like to rent a pair of skis please,” Eddie said to the woman at the counter.</p>
<p>“Have you ever skied before?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Do you have winter sports insurance?”</p>
<p>“No.” Prior to this, Eddie did not know winter sports insurance even existed.</p>
<p>“Are you aware that Liberty Mountain Resort is not liable for any injuries or death related to skiing accidents?”</p>
<p>“No, um, you know what, let me get a snowboard instead.”</p>
<p>“Of course, sir, just one moment.”</p>
<p>When the woman finished ringing him up and printing out his tickets, Eddie thanked her and walked over to where Buck was chuckling to himself.</p>
<p>“Shut up.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say anything,” Buck said, holding his hands up defensively.</p>
<p>They picked up their skis and snowboard at a separate area before heading out into the frigid air again. Before long, they were on top of the mountain—thank goodness for chairlifts, being a terrifying yet wonderful invention. There was no turning back now. Buck had given Eddie some tips on the ride up, but he still felt clueless. Buck was standing beside him, waiting for him to do something. Eddie took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I can do this.”</p>
<p>“What? Not chickening out now, are you?”</p>
<p>“It’s just so tall.”</p>
<p>“Eddie, you’re a firefighter, you’re not allowed to be scared of heights,” Buck said, clapping a hand to Eddie’s back. The force of the slap was enough for Eddie to lose balance and slowly start sliding down the mountain. All Eddie could hear was Buck laughing from behind him as he started boarding down. He waved his arms all over the place but still lost balance and fell. He got back up. Fell again. Got back up, fell, repeat. At one point he saw Buck descend to his right. Well, more accurately he felt air whoosh past him as Buck’s coat-colored blur skied by. By the time Eddie eventually made it all the way down, Buck was waiting for him at the bottom with a wide, toothy grin on his face.</p>
<p>“Ready to head back up?” Buck asked.</p>
<p>Eddie, out of breath, wheezed out, “I hate you.”</p>
<p>Buck laughed and started making his way to the ski lift again. Eddie reluctantly followed.</p>
<p>His second time down the slope, he felt a little more confident. Extra confidence did not prevent him from falling on his ass halfway down. He sat there in shame for a full minute. Before he could get back up, Buck slid to a stop beside him.</p>
<p>“Having fun?” Buck asked.</p>
<p>Eddie’s attempt to give him the middle finger was hampered by his gloves. Buck started laughing before suddenly stopping. Eddie looked up at his face. Buck’s eyes were wide, staring back behind Eddie. From his position on the ground, Eddie turned as best he could. His heart stopped. There was a wall of snow speeding down the mountain, heading right towards them. An avalanche.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So the real story begins!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wall of snow moved fast and reached the pair before they could react. The force of the impact knocked the air out of Eddie’s lungs. It also knocked him off his feet as he started to tumble. He opened his mouth in a silent shout, but no sound came out. If he did make a sound, it was drowned out by the roaring of the avalanche, louder than the sirens of the fire engine.</p><p>Eddie swung his arms wildly, trying to swim to the surface of this sea of snow. He wonders if this is what Buck experienced being hit by the tsunami. Buck, oh no, where was Buck. Eddie was sitting right by him. Even with snow goggles, he was blinded by a curtain of white. With his arms grasping at anything, his hand hit something solid. Without hesitation, he tightened his grip and latched on as hard as he could. Eddie felt a tight grip on his own arm, another hand grabbing his. Buck, it had to be Buck. His arm strained, trying to keep a hold on Buck, but his gloves were thick and cumbersome. His grip started to loosen. He took one harsh tumble, and he slipped away completely. Buck was gone. Eddie thrashed around desperately, he had to find Buck again.</p><p>Once again, his arm hit something solid, too solid, it was not an arm, it stood up straight, a tree. Eddie wrapped his arms around it desperately. A tree was a strong anchor he could use to stop himself from tumbling and stay above the snow. Eddie could still feel the rush of snow around him, but at least he was not moving with it.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, the snow came to a halt. Eddie squinted his eyes open in the bright light. He did not remember closing them. The sunlight was blinding, but it lifted Eddie’s spirit, it meant his head was above the snow. His arms were clinging to the tree tightly. With all the upper-body strength he could muster, Eddie pulled himself up using the tree as leverage. Now at a standstill, the snow would settle and compact down like concrete, if he did not get out now, he might never be able to. He had to get out, and he had to find Buck. Eddie’s arms ached, but he finally managed to get on top of the snow. He lied on his side for a moment, catching his breath.</p><p>Eddie was tired, out of breath, still reeling from being at the mercy of mother nature, but he could not rest. He had one thought on his mind: <em>Buck</em>. He had to find Buck. Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground. He put his weight on his feet carefully, not wanting to end up sinking back into the snow. The snow had solidified enough to hold his weight, which was both a blessing and a curse. He was running out of time to find his partner. One foot in front of the other, he walked downhill.</p><p>“Buck!” He called. If Buck’s head was under the snow, his voice would not make it through the insulation of snow, but Eddie could not help himself. Buck had to hear him. Eddie had to find him. Out of the corner of his eye, a bright patch of color drew his attention. Red. Eddie whipped his head towards the stain on the snow. Unmistakably, that red stain was blood. Screw being slow and careful, Eddie sprinted towards that first sign of life he had seen. Directly next to the patch of red was a coat-clad arm flat against the surface of the snow. Eddie recognized that coat color. It was Buck. His heart pounded in his chest. He rushed over and slid on his knees next to Buck. From a distance, he could not see any movement, but when he got closer, he could see Buck’s fingers slowly clawing at the snow. He was alive. Eddie reached out and grasped Buck’s hand in his left hand as he used his right to dig frantically. Buck’s hand loosely gripped his own. It hurt to let go, but Eddie needed both hands to dig Buck out.</p><p>After digging as fast as he could, a patch of messy blonde hair came into view, blonde hair matted with blood. That would explain the red patch in the snow. Eddie figured something—a rock maybe—might have hit his head amidst the avalanche. Eddie dug faster around Buck’s head, focusing on the area in front of his mouth. The snow could be suffocating him. The moment Eddie had cleared out space in front of Buck’s mouth, the Buck drew in a desperate breath and started coughing.</p><p>“Buck, thank god, you with me, man?”</p><p>“Eddie,” Buck wheezed out between gasps.</p><p>Eddie continued digging around him. After a minute, Buck caught his breath. He was able to pull his other arm out of the snow and joined Eddie in digging himself out. Once they had dug down to around Buck’s waist, Eddie took both of Buck’s arms and attempted to pull him the rest of the way out.</p><p>“Argh,” Buck yelped. Eddie let go of Buck’s hands and stopped immediately.</p><p>“What, what’s wrong?”</p><p>Buck’s breath hissed through his nostrils. “My ankle. Must’ve twisted it.”</p><p>“Not your bad leg is it?” Eddie asked. Eddie knew Buck’s left leg would never fully return to normal after being crushed under the ladder truck, so an injury to that leg could be complicated.</p><p>“Nah, the right one I think,” Buck said. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief. The relief was short-lived, however. He could not dig all 6’2” of Buck by hand without disturbing his ankle. He had to pull him out, as painful as it could be for Buck. Eddie shook his head. Buck seemed to know what Eddie was thinking, nodding his head solemnly.</p><p>“Buck, I’m gonna have to pull you out. It’s probably gonna—”</p><p>“I know,” Buck snapped before he could finish. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Just get it over with.”</p><p>“Okay then, on the count of three.”</p><p>Bucked nodded and steadied his breathing.</p><p>“1,” Eddie said, grasping Buck’s hands tightly.</p><p>“2.” Buck took in a deep breath and held it.</p><p>“3.” With that last count, Eddie pulled Buck’s arms up with all of his strength. Eddie could feel Buck slowly rising out of the snow. Eddie groaned with the strain of Buck’s weight. Buck cried out.</p><p>“I got you, I got you, you’re almost out,” Eddie panted. Just a little bit more and Buck would be free. His mind flashed back to trying to lift the weight of an entire ladder truck off of his friend’s trapped leg. Buck was miraculously freed that time, with the help of multiple fire crews and a mass of bystanders. This time, Eddie was alone. He couldn’t count on a miracle this time. With one last deep breath and a strong pull, Eddie dragged Buck out of the packed snow. Eddie flopped down on the snow next to Buck, both men breathing heavily to catch their breath.</p><p>“How ya doing Buck?” Eddie said once his breathing returned to normal. “Having fun?” Eddie mocked.</p><p>“I hate you,” Buck groaned, echoing their earlier conversation.</p><p>“You can thank me later. For now, let’s get a look at your head.” Eddie pushed himself up into a sitting position and hovered over Buck. Buck was on his back looking up at Eddie. The snow to the left of his head was darkened with blood. Eddie mumbled Spanish obscenities under his breath. He inspected the wound leaking blood. There was a gash in Buck’s hairline right above his birthmark. It did not look deep, but it did not have to be deep to cause a good deal of blood loss, and with Buck’s use of blood-thinners, a small cut could turn serious in a hurry. Eddie crawled over to behind Buck’s head. He pulled Buck’s head into his lap and pressed his hand against the cut. Buck hissed at the contact.</p><p>“Sorry, gotta stop the bleeding. You must have hit your head in the tumble. Any headache, dizziness, nausea?”</p><p>“I think ‘m fine. Don’t go all paramedic on me,” Buck said. Eddie lifted his gloved hand away from Buck’s head. His black glove was darkened and wet with Buck’s blood. He had to stop the bleeding. With a sudden idea coming to him, Eddie quickly unwrapped his scarf from his neck. Then, he wrapped it around Buck’s head, tying it in a tight knot when it was sufficiently wrapped. Eddie looked over his handiwork before noticing Buck’s eyes were closed.</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, open your eyes, Buck,” Eddie said, lightly tapping Buck’s face. His face was pale, and skin was cold. Buck slowly blinked his eyes open. “You gotta stay awake,” Eddie urged, patting Buck’s shoulder. Buck reached up his own hand and set it on top of Eddie’s.</p><p>“I know, ‘ll try.” The wind blew sharply causing Buck to shiver. The cold was clearly getting to him already. Buck had been trapped under the snow for longer than Eddie had. The blood loss meant a loss of body heat, as well. They needed to get off of this mountain, out of this wind.</p><p>“How’s your ankle doing? Do you think you can walk?”</p><p>“Don’t know, still hurts.”</p><p>“Let me check it out.” Eddie shuffled down to Buck’s feet. He reached out to his right foot and lifted it up. Buck winced. Eddie untied the laces of his right boot and carefully eased the boot off. Next came the sock. Eddie rolled up Buck’s pantleg slightly to get a good view of the ankle. He was careful to keep his foot from touching the snow while he inspected it. The ankle was swollen and turning a deep purple, but Eddie could not feel any breaks.</p><p>“Doesn’t look broken, just a bad sprain, probably no good to walk on though,” Eddie said. With the swelling, normally he would prefer to keep the boot off to not restrict blood flow, but in this circumstance, frostbite would get the foot faster than lack of circulation if Buck did not have his shoe and sock back on. So, Eddie rolled the sock back onto Buck’s foot followed by the boot. However, he left it untied to accommodate the swelling.</p><p>With walking out of the picture, they had to shelter themselves from the frigid wind somehow until search and rescue teams found them. Eddie looked around them. It was a barren landscape except for a few trees, like the one Eddie had clung to. Its trunk was pretty wide. It would help in a pinch.</p><p>“Still with me, Buck?”</p><p>“Yep,” Buck groaned.</p><p>“Okay good. We’re gonna take shelter by that tree over there,” Eddie said, pointing. “I’m gonna have to drag you, so hold tight.” Although Buck did not turn his head to see where Eddie was pointing, he nodded his head. Eddie stood up; the snow was luckily solid underneath him. He walked up to Buck’s head and reached down to hook his arms under Buck’s shoulders. Then, he started dragging Buck towards the tree. With the slick snow, it was easier than Eddie thought. Buck also helped by pushing with his good leg. In no time, they had made it to the tree. There was a hollow dip in the snow in front of the tree where the avalanche had gone around it. Eddie sat down in that crater, his back up against the tree, and pulled Buck towards him so that his back was up against Eddie’s chest, partially sitting on the older man’s lap. It was not the most comfortable for Eddie, but it kept Buck’s body from having too much direct contact with the cold ground. With his body pressed against Buck’s, he could feel every shiver. He wrapped his arms around Buck’s torso. They would get through this, together. He just had to hope help would arrive soon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Who else is still reeling from the finale last week? Missed having a 911 episode this week. Thank goodness for fanfics to fill the void. I hope you enjoyed this angsty chapter. Researching for this chapter has made me an avalanche expect by now. But it's okay Google, you can stop recommending me avalanche videos now, I've seen enough.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last thing Buck remembered as he came to was seeing a wave of snow speeding towards him and Eddie. The next thing he knew, he was waking up with a pounding headache and the inability to move an inch. His entire body had been consumed by the snow. He felt like he had been locked in a freezer. Survival instincts kicking in, Buck tried to move, but the snow surrounding him was dense and would not give. The only thing he could move was his forearm above the surface of the snow. His arm was stuck in an awkward position above his head, but that did not stop him from attempting to claw free.</p>
<p>As he frantically scraped at the snow, he panted to catch his breath. He was becoming winded too fast. After a minute, he could not seem to get enough air into his lungs. The snow around his face had started to melt with his warm breath and then refreeze into solid ice around him. This was it; this was how he died. He had read the statistics, over 90% of people caught in avalanches die from asphyxiation. Buck tried to calm his breathing, conserve as much air as possible, but the panic was winning over. His fingers were desperately scratching at the surface of the snow in a last-ditch effort before he lost consciousness again when Buck felt someone grip his hand. Buck immediately gripped back, his panic subsiding as he slowed his breathing down. He had been found, probably by search and rescue.</p>
<p>Knowing he was being rescued, Buck’s mind jumped from his own survival to thoughts of Eddie. Eddie had never seen snow before, how could he be prepared for a freaking avalanche. As soon as he was dug out, he would do whatever he could to find him.</p>
<p>“Buck, thank god, you with me, man?”</p>
<p>“Eddie,” Buck inhaled sharply in surprise to see Eddie was the one digging him out. He regretted that as he started coughing violently, his lungs desperate to make up for lost oxygen.</p>
<p>Before long, Eddie had dug most of Buck out. Buck was painfully pulled out the rest of the way since he had managed to twist his ankle in the avalanche. Buck regretted not taking his own advice earlier and gotten a snowboard, that way his feet would have been together and not as susceptible to injury.</p>
<p>Even when he was out of the snow, he still felt frozen to the core. Eddie prodded around his head injury. Buck forgot about the pain in his head when he was buried, his brain deciding the lack of oxygen was a more pressing issue to focus on than the wound on his head. His headache returned as Eddie wrapped his scarf around his head. Buck winced and closed his eyes until Eddie reprimanded him for it.</p>
<p>Although Buck told Eddie not to turn into a paramedic on him, Eddie did not listen. Buck laid there mostly silent as Eddie examined every injury. He stifled a cry as Eddie pulled off his boot. He knew Eddie was trying to be gentle about it, but it was impossible to take off the shoe without moving the ankle at all. Buck was relieved when Eddie said it was not broken. The last thing he needed was another broken leg. Even though it was not broken, it still hurt like hell and he could not walk on it. Because of his inability to walk, Eddie had to drag him over to take shelter under the tree. Once nestled into the tree’s shadow, he felt Eddie pull him into a semi-upright position, with his back up against Eddie’s chest. Under normal circumstances, Buck would have been embarrassed, but at this moment, he was too tired to care. The warmth against his back felt nice, relaxing. His eyes started drooping and all he could think about was how much he wanted to sleep. However, the instant he closed his eyes, Eddie jostled him awake.</p>
<p>“Buck, you know the drill, you’ve gotta stay awake.”</p>
<p>Buck nodded his head, letting it hang after a few nods. He felt Eddie shiver behind him. Eddie was taking the brunt of the cold, sitting on it directly unlike Buck who was more or less on Eddie’s lap. “Eddie,” Buck said softly. Buck could feel the vibration of his chest when Eddie hummed for him to continue. “Leave me,” Buck continued bluntly.</p>
<p>“What?” Eddie shifted behind him.</p>
<p>“Leave me, get to the resort, find shelter.” Buck was shaking now, partly from the cold, partly from his determination. He had to convince Eddie. Eddie needed to be safe. Buck refused to let him get dragged down with his own bad luck. Buck was the one that got stuck in natural disasters, not Eddie. Eddie needed to survive.</p>
<p>“No, absolutely not! I’m not—”</p>
<p>“Eddie, listen to me,” Buck cut him off, putting all of his strength into his voice. “Less than 30% of people survive an avalanche after half an hour, drops to less than 10% after two hours. Who knows how long it will be before search and rescue find us. You can walk, I can’t. I can’t let you die out here with me,” Buck said, his last sentence coming out quieter than the previous.</p>
<p>“Of course you would know avalanche survival statistics,” Eddie muttered under his breath. “Buck, neither of us are dying out here, not if I can help it,” he continued. Buck felt Eddie’s arms wrap around his chest, one rubbing up and down in front of his heart, creating friction to try and warm him.</p>
<p>“Eddie, please, you have to make it back, you’ve got to get back to Christopher. There’s no point in both of us freezing to death out here. You’ve got family to get home to.”</p>
<p>“Don’t talk like that, you’ve got family to get back to, too. You’re gonna make it back to Maddie. We’re both going to make it home, okay? You wouldn’t leave me if you were in my shoes and I am not leaving you,” Eddie said sternly. Buck quit arguing. He thought about Maddie. She and Chimney would probably be done at the chocolate factory by now. He did not want to leave her behind. She did not deserve any more pain or grief. Buck let out a choked sob. <em>I’m sorry Maddie, I might not make it back this time</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Maddie was laughing at one of Chimney’s corny jokes as she checked her phone. They were sitting in a small, quaint coffee shop she used to visit frequently growing up. They both had hot chocolates to keep the winter chill at bay. They had a fun day filled with sightseeing and chocolate tasting. The time had flown by, so much so that Maddie was shocked to see the time when she looked at her phone. They were about to be late to pick up her brother and Eddie from the ski resort. She was surprised Buck had not texted her to remind her. She figured they must be having fun if they were still not done yet as Buck promised to text when they were done. Regardless if they were still skiing, she knew they should head out there anyway. She told Chimney this and they headed out, not before buying a pair of hot chocolates to go for Buck and Eddie.</p>
<p>A short drive later, they arrived at the ski resort. As they pulled into the road, they noticed an assortment of flashing lights in the distance. Maddie and Chimney shared quizzical looks when they pulled into the driveway and saw this. Getting closer to the parking lot, they saw it was filled with emergency vehicles of all kinds but mostly ambulances. Hardly waiting for Chimney to put the car in park, Maddie jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards the resort. Before she could reach it, a policeman stepped in front of her.</p>
<p>“Ma’am, I’m sorry but this is a restricted area right now,” he said.</p>
<p>“No, I was supposed to pick up my brother, where is he?” Maddie stood up on her toes trying to see what was happening behind the tall policeman. As she was doing this, Chimney jogged up behind her.</p>
<p>“Sir, I’m sorry, I’m going to need you to stay back,” he told Chimney.</p>
<p>“Yes of course, but what happened? Her brother and our friend were skiing here earlier today, we came here to pick them up,” Chimney explained. He set his hand on top of Maddie’s shoulder.</p>
<p>The police officer turned his head behind him, glancing to see if he was needed elsewhere before explaining the situation to Maddie and Chimney. He sighed as he said, “There’s been an avalanche. It happened right after noon.”</p>
<p>Maddie gasped and Chimney tightened his grip on her shoulder. “Please, can you check if they’ve found my brother? Please,” Maddie said.</p>
<p>“And our friend,” Chimney chimed in quickly.</p>
<p>“I’ll see what I can do. What are their names?”</p>
<p>“Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz,” Chimney responded.</p>
<p>The officer nodded and walked away. Maddie turned towards Chimney, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Oh my god, Chimney, an avalanche? Those can cause asphyxia, hypothermia, trauma, internal bleeding. What if they haven’t been found yet? Oh my god, what if they are seriously hurt or—”</p>
<p>“Maddie,” Chimney cut her off before she could spiral further down that rabbit hole. He knew her time working as an ER nurse would cause her to think of the worst-case scenarios. “I’m sure they’re fine. We don’t even know if they were on the slope at the time. And even if they were, Buck and Eddie know how to handle themselves in emergency situations. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made it out and immediately volunteered to help the first responders,” he continued when he had Maddie’s attention.</p>
<p>Maddie took a deep breath. “You’re right, they’re probably completely fine. I’m sure I’m just overreacting.”</p>
<p>After a few minutes of waiting, the officer they talked to before returned. Maddie stared as he walked towards them, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. Chimney had his arm around her shoulder. As he reached them, the officer lifted his head up and shook it back and forth slowly. Chimney could feel Maddie’s whole body start to shake next to his.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry but those names have not been accounted for yet,” the officer said quietly.</p>
<p>Chimney looked to Maddie, there was a tear trail down her face. “But they could still be alive out there, right? People are still searching, right?”</p>
<p>“Yes, of course, search teams with trained search dogs have been out on the slopes all day and will continue into the night. Unfortunately, it gets harder to locate anyone the darker it gets. You two should go home and try to rest, you’ll be notified as soon as we find them. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, officer,” Maddie said monotonously. As soon as he was out of sight, she collapsed into Chimney and started crying. Chimney held her in his arms. He slowly walked her back to the car. He sniffled a few times—Maddie’s tears were contagious. He knew Buck and Eddie would be alright, they had to be. However, the darkening sky worried him. He had not noticed it until the officer mentioned it, but it was already starting to shift from day into night. He knew firsthand how tough night rescues were. He said a silent prayer to whoever would listen that his friend and his—hopefully—future brother-in-law would be okay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Sorry that nothing much happens in this chapter. Gotta draw out the angst. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie kept rubbing circles over Buck’s chest. He did it without thinking now, running on autopilot. The only thoughts circling around his head were about keeping himself and Buck alive. He shifted around and Buck groaned. He did not know how long they had been sitting there. It might have only been a short time, but it felt like an eternity. Eddie could feel the cold seeping into his bones from the solid layer of ice he was sitting on. Buck’s weight on his lap was heavy and uncomfortable, but it was the best way to keep Buck warm, so Eddie could live with it for as long as he needed to. He hoped it would not be that long, though. The only clear indication of the passage of time was the sun moving over the horizon. And now, now it was setting. Eddie cursed these short winter days. The further the sun sank below the horizon, the more the temperature would drop. They were running out of time. Eddie did not want to believe Buck’s grim survival statistics about avalanches, but the man was a walking search engine, so he knew his numbers must be accurate.</p>
<p>“Hey Buck, you still with me?” Eddie said. He made sure to ask frequently to make sure Buck was staying awake. Buck hummed in response. “Use your words, Buckley,” Eddie chastised.</p>
<p>“’m here, but why are you still? I told you to go,” Buck said softly.</p>
<p>“And I told you I wasn’t going anywhere, so stop trying to convince me to.” Eddie tried to jostle his point into Buck. Buck shook his head with a sigh and closed his eyes.</p>
<p>“Buck, no, keep those pretty blue eyes open for me.”</p>
<p>“’m so tired, just lemme sleep,” Buck murmured. Eddie was hoping for some sort of reaction, a blush, a laugh, something. Buck did open his eyes, but they were unfocused. He looked asleep even with his eyes open. He was deteriorating right in front of Eddie’s eyes. He had stopped shivering. Eddie knew that was a bad sign. Buck’s body did not have the energy to spend on that anymore. How much longer before Buck’s body lost the energy to breathe.</p>
<p>“Stay with me, Evan,” Eddie said, not hiding the desperation in his voice. He pulled Buck in as close as possible and wrapped his arms around him, trying to physically transfer his own body heat into Buck. He couldn’t let Buck die out here. He would sooner let himself turn to ice than allow that.</p>
<p>“’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“What?” Buck’s voice was too quiet to make out.</p>
<p>“Eds, I’m sorry,” Buck said weakly.</p>
<p>“Buck, you have nothing to be sorry about.”</p>
<p>“It’s my fault, you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me.”</p>
<p>“Don’t say that. How many times do I have to tell you, natural disasters are not your fault, Buck. Except, how about I choose the next vacation spot, huh? Somewhere a little warmer, how about that?” Buck let out a chuckle at that. Eddie continued. “We could visit some of my extended family in Mexico. Nice and warm there, lots of sun, no snow, no avalanches.”</p>
<p>“Sounds nice,” Buck said. He let his head fall back against Eddie’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Hey, tell me about South America? You’ve been there, right? What was it like?”</p>
<p>“Warm,” Buck said simply with an exhausted chuckle.</p>
<p>Eddie laughed right back. “Warm, that’s good. What were you doing down there?”</p>
<p>“Bartending.” It was another simple, one-word answer, but Eddie would take anything he could get to keep Buck awake and talking.</p>
<p>“Bartending? That must have been fun?” Eddie asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Buck hummed before his head slumped to the side.</p>
<p>“Buck? Buck? Evan?” Eddie pleaded but Buck was unresponsive. “Wake up, Buck, wake up, please.” Eddie groped around Buck’s neck, trying to find a pulse. He gave up quickly when he realized he could not feel anything with his thick winter gloves on. He knew it would be a bad idea to take his glove off in this cold. Frostbite be damned, Eddie put his hand up to his mouth and ripped off his glove with his teeth. He held his breath as he held two fingers on Buck’s pulse point. Eddie sighed in relief. His pulse was weak, but it was there, nonetheless.</p>
<p>“Hang on, Buck. You’re gonna make it. You’re gonna be alright,” Eddie whispered, more for his own benefit than Buck’s. “You’re so strong, you will get through this. You’ve survived an earthquake, getting blown up, blood clots, an entire freaking tsunami, you better not die to an avalanche, you hear me? You’ve got to survive, Buck. Survive for Maddie, for us, for <em>me</em>, please.” Eddie did not know when he started crying, but he felt tracks of tears freeze on his face. Eddie closed his eyes and crashed his head back against the tree.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Buck!” Eddie screamed as he jolted awake. His eyes snapped open. He fell asleep. He shook his head to clear the remaining drowsiness. How could he have let himself fall asleep, he questioned. He did not know how long he was out for. The sky was fully black now, but it had started snowing again. A thin layer of fresh powder covered him and Buck. The wind howled and <em>barked</em>? Eddie turned his head in either direction, he had definitely heard something. The sound slowly grew louder. Barking—he was not going crazy—he heard barking in the wind getting closer. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the beams of a couple of flashlights waving around. Eddie did not know if he laughed or sobbed or some mixture of both at that moment.</p>
<p>“Here! We’re over here!” he shouted. The deep barking of the dog grew louder, and the flashlight beams came closer before one shined directly in his face. It was a search and rescue team. The dog stopped barking when it reached Eddie. It was a giant, white, fluffy dog that would have blended right into the snow if it were not for the reflective vest that adorned it. When the dog reached Eddie, it licked him right across the face. Eddie laughed and looked down at where the dog proceeded to lick Buck’s face. There was no reaction from the unconscious man. Eddie felt his heart stop. How long ago had he checked Buck’s pulse? He cursed himself for falling asleep.</p>
<p>Without Eddie realizing, the search and rescue team had reached them. He only snapped out of his daze when one of them shook his shoulder. He did not even realize that the weight had been taken off his body.</p>
<p>“Where is he? Is he—” Eddie could not finish his sentence.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna get you both off this mountain, okay? Can you move at all?”</p>
<p>In all honesty, Eddie did not know if he could, his legs had gone numb ages ago, but he nodded anyway. With the search and rescue team member’s help, he was maneuvered onto a sled and pulled down the mountain, the search dog trotting along beside him the entire way. Eddie zoned out for most of the journey, eyes staring blankly at the sled in front of his being pulled by the other team member, carrying Buck’s lifeless-looking body.</p>
<p>In a flurry of activity more frenzied than the snow flurries coming down on them, Eddie and Buck were escorted down the mountain and swiftly sent away in ambulances to the nearest hospital. Eddie strained to keep his eyes open. He could not let himself fall asleep again. He had to make sure Buck was okay. He couldn’t fall—couldn’t—stay awake—</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Eddie slowly blinked awake. He squinted at the bright fluorescent lights before his eyes adjusted to it. When they did, he looked to the side and saw none other than Chimney sitting next to his hospital bed.</p>
<p>“Hey, would you look at that, someone is finally awake.”</p>
<p>“Chim? Where’s Buck?” Eddie shot up in bed.</p>
<p>“Eddie, calm down, he’s right next door, Maddie is with him,” Chimney said, gesturing at the wall behind him that Buck was on the other side of.</p>
<p>“Is he—"</p>
<p>“He’s fine, don’t worry. You both just got a bit of hypothermia and gave me and Maddie a bit of a scare.”</p>
<p>“Is he awake? Can I see him?”</p>
<p>“Oh, s<em>orry for worrying you, Chim, thank you for being here,” </em>Chimney mocked under his breath. “Yes, the doctor said he’d release you as soon as you woke up so as soon as you talk to him, you can go. I’ll go get him,” Chimney continued before getting up to leave.</p>
<p>When he was alone, Eddie looked at the clock on the wall. It was early Saturday morning. He had been out all night. Now that he thought about it, he did not know what time they were found the day before. He wondered what time it was they finally got out of there. He wondered if Buck was awake yet. He turned to the wall and stared, hoping to spontaneously develop x-ray vision to be able to see through it. With no luck on that front, he waited patiently for the doctor to show up.</p>
<p>He did so soon enough, Chimney trailing right behind him, and a nurse behind Chimney. The nurse took out Eddie’s IV while the doctor explained the situation. It was nothing Eddie was not expecting to hear, a mild case of hypothermia with mild frostbite in his right hand. The doctor’s attempt at telling Eddie to rest fell flat as Eddie was already jumping out of bed and pushing past the doctor to get out the door.</p>
<p>He rushed out the door and pushed into the neighboring room. There, he saw Maddie sitting next to the hospital bed holding her brother’s hand in hers. She said something Eddie could not hear and chuckled to herself. Following that was the most beautiful sound Eddie has ever heard: Buck’s roaring laughter. He was awake. As the door slammed shut behind Eddie, both Maddie and Buck turned towards the front of the room.</p>
<p>“Eddie, you’re awake!”</p>
<p>Buck’s smile when he saw Eddie blinded him. As much as Eddie hated seeing Buck in <em>yet</em> <em>another</em> hospital bed, he could not help but smile back. Before rushing forward, Eddie assessed Buck. His ankle was wrapped in a soft brace and he had a bandage on his forehead, but other than that, he seemed okay. Eddie did not waste another second. He stepped over to Buck’s side, opposite from Maddie. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around Buck.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna give you two a minute,” Maddie said as she slipped out of the room unnoticed.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Eddie said, pulling back a little.</p>
<p>“All thanks to you. If it wasn’t for you I don’t—I’m sorry, Eddie,” Buck said, head downturned.</p>
<p>“Seriously, Buck, how much of an ego do you have to think you caused all these natural disasters?”</p>
<p>Not what Buck was expecting to hear, his head shot back up and he furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”</p>
<p>Eddie keeled over with laughter. “Buck, you have no control over natural disasters, this was not your fault. Stop apologizing. I’m okay, we’re both okay.” And thank god for that, Eddie thought but kept to himself. He was putting on a brave face for Buck’s sake, but internally he wanted to hold onto Buck and never let go. He never wanted to come that close to losing his partner, his best friend ever again.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Eddie. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” Buck said. His smile was so sincere it filled Eddie to his core with warmth, a warmth that could survive a thousand avalanches. This broke him. He choked out a sob and cast his head down.</p>
<p>“Buck, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you. You have no idea how much I—” Eddie paused. There were so many words he could end that sentence with that were swimming in his brain. None of them felt sufficient to describe Buck and how much he meant to Eddie. Nothing in his English or Spanish vocabulary seemed powerful enough, so he hesitated.</p>
<p>“Eddie—” Buck began.</p>
<p>“So, I’m guessing you are itching to get out of here, right?” The doctor said, bursting into the room. He was looking intently down at his clipboard, so he missed Eddie launching himself back into Buck’s bedside chair.</p>
<p>Buck huffed through his nose, turning away from Eddie. “Yeah, for sure.”</p>
<p>The doctor looked up from his clipboard and smiled. “Great, well, the nurse will be in in a moment and she will get you all set to leave. Once you do, keep drinking lots of warm fluids, stay home, rest, keep yourself warm. Your body temperature still needs time to return to normal after being exposed to the cold for so long. You may feel chilled for a while but that is perfectly normal, don’t worry.” Finished with his words of advice, the doctor left the room as quickly as he came.</p>
<p>Before long, a nurse came in, took out Buck’s IV, gave him the discharge paperwork, and made sure he was all set to go. When that was done, Buck pushed himself out of the hospital bed and onto his feet. He winced at the sudden weight on his sprained ankle. Eddie did not hesitate to put an arm around Buck’s shoulder to help alleviate the pressure. Buck gave his ankle a minute to adjust to standing before taking a step forward. Once he felt comfortable walking on it, he gave Eddie a quick nod. Eddie let go of Buck’s shoulder and followed him out of the room. He had a slight limp, but other than that, he seemed fine, much to Eddie’s relief.</p>
<p>In the lobby of the hospital, they reunited with Maddie and Chimney. Then, it was time to go home—well, not exactly home, but to the hotel. Eddie was happy to be anywhere but the hospital, and from the content look on Buck’s face as they climbed into the back of the rental car, he could tell Buck shared that sentiment. Once on the road, Maddie cranked the heat up to the max. After a minute, Chimney was visibly sweating. However, every attempt he made to complain had Maddie shushing him. Buck was chuckling at their exchange. Eddie found himself staring at him. Buck’s laughter was contagious and had him grinning from ear to ear. Ah, it occurred to him then, <em>love</em>, that was the word Eddie was searching for earlier.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're getting close to the end here. The next chapter will be the final one. I have it mostly written already, it will be more of a short epilogue. I was thinking about tacking it onto the end of this and only doing 6 chapters, but together it felt too long for my usual chapter lengths. Plus, I'm not sure I am ready to end this story just yet. I have been overjoyed with all the love it's gotten. Thank you so much to everyone who has read, kudos-ed, and commented on this fic! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thankfully, their hotel was not outrageously far from the local hospital Buck and Eddie had been taken to, and they made it back in no time at all. Once they arrived, Maddie and Chimney escorted Buck and Eddie to their room. They then stopped outside their door to chat briefly before Maddie and Chimney had to head off once again.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry we can’t stay and keep you company today, but we already promised Mom and Dad we’d visit today, and someone wouldn’t let me call the visit off,” Maddie said, glaring at Chimney causing him to look away. Buck held back a laugh. He, for one, knew why Chimney would not let Maddie cancel their visit with their parents, but he was not going to give away that he knew something his sister did not.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, Maddie. Try to have a nice time. Tell them I’m sorry I couldn’t make it,” Buck said.</p>
<p>Maddie gave him a sympathetic smile. “You’re a horrible liar,” she said, and with that, she and Chimney left. Eddie closed the hotel room door behind them.</p>
<p>“Yeah, no, I’m not sorry at all,” Buck said, shaking his head with a smirk on his face. Eddie chuckled. “I guess that’s one good thing about being given orders to rest all day,” Buck continued, walking further into the room and dropping himself down on the bed.</p>
<p>“And I was looking forward to meeting your parents,” Eddie said, sitting down on the bed and crashing his shoulder into Buck’s.</p>
<p>“What? Why?” Buck’s head turned to face Eddie. He gaped. The confusion in his face evident, showing how absurd he thought the idea of anyone in their right mind wanting to meet his parents was. Eddie smiled but did not return his gaze.</p>
<p>“Well, maybe I wanted to ask for their permission to date their son,” Eddie said, finally facing Buck.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Buck said. He tilted his head forward. Eddie matched the movement and their foreheads rested against each other's. “Well, I think that if their son approves, you don’t need a second opinion.”</p>
<p>“And does he? Approve?” Eddie said, eyes flickering down to Buck’s lips. Buck bit his bottom lip before responding.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes he does.”</p>
<p>As swiftly and powerfully as snow crashing down the mountainside, Eddie crashed his lips into Buck’s. Buck reciprocated the kiss with just as much energy. Eddie’s hands reached up to cup Buck’s face as he deepened the kiss. Time stopped, became nonexistent. The cold chill in their bones was lifted and replaced with fire. They melted into each other like winter turning into summer.</p>
<p>Without breaking the kiss, Eddie reached down to slide a hand under Buck’s shirt. A shiver ran through Buck at the contact and Eddie pulled his hand away.</p>
<p>“Still cold?” Eddie asked. At the hospital, the doctor had said it would take some time for their body temperatures to return to normal. Eddie placed his unbandaged hand on the side of Buck’s face. Despite the warm flush on his face, his skin was cool to the touch. Buck leaned into Eddie’s palm.</p>
<p>“Maybe a little,” Buck said, lifting his shoulders in a shrug.</p>
<p>Eddie leaned forward towards Buck’s ear opposite his hand, “Well, maybe I can help with that,” he whispered. Buck shivered, and not entirely because of the cold this time.</p>
<p>“You know, I’ve heard that one of the best ways to warm up is with skin on skin contact,” Buck said, his lip quirked up in a mischievous smile.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Eddie said. He straightened his posture before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor. “You’re probably right. Maybe we should test that theory.”</p>
<p>No more words were needed as Buck mirrored the action by yanking off his own shirt. The crisp hotel room air sent a chill through him, but before long, he had Eddie’s arms around him to warm him up. Buck felt Eddie’s lips crash into his once again. This time, it was mindless and clumsy as they maneuvered to climb further onto the bed. Feeling slightly like they were playing a game of twister, Buck and Eddie managed to kick their pants off without breaking the kiss and while getting into a comfortable position on the bed. Reminiscent of the ski slopes, Eddie had his front against Buck’s back with his arms wrapped securely around him. Unlike on that mountain, they did not have any heavy coats in the way. Buck could feel the warmth of Eddie’s body behind him, warmer than the blankets covering them. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. Was this worth getting stuck in an avalanche for? Yes, yes it was.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The end! </p>
<p>Yeah, I probably should have just tacked this onto the previous chapter. I wanted to have a nice fluffy epilogue though. I hope this chapter achieved that even though it is pretty short. Thank you for reading and sticking with this story until the end! I sincerely hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was going to dive into Buck's rocky relationship with his parents more, but at this point, I figured I put them through enough stress already. As much as I love the angst and the whump, they deserve to have a happy ending.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>